Red dsmc dragon w still worth it at $4k complete?

I have an opportunity to buy a DSMC scarlet W kit w everything except minimag for about $4k.  I shoot theatrical productions and events.  Is it worth it compared to a $7-8k Komodo or canon c70?  Is the last generation Red still worth it?

Thanks, John, for a thoughtful reply.

In addition to business objectives, I also have some learning objectives, among them gaining familiarity with Redcode Raw. I've done no work in raw at this point and want to really understand what's out there among things at the top of the raw format heap.  This seems like a very cheap way to explore this medium and potentially up my own skills.

Were I strictly a utilitarian, I'd agree with you fully. But I'm not--and my goals are broader than simply a utility function--and I've also been selling a lot of gear (through private channels--and need to update the list you cited).

More precisely, I'm part of a group actively experimenting with different imaging technologies and have been considering learning (cheaply) if this brings anything to the party that we don't already know about.  The different products you noted have quite different use cases.

The question behind my question was really, "has the world of Red cinema moved so far beyond the last generation of products that a "cheap" investment won't really allow me/us to explore the Red end of the ecosystem (as that generation has been far superceded) and won't teach us much beyond what we could learn about raw from a C70 (or R3)?"

Again, thank you for your Socratic response!

Ron

How many rental days would that equate to?

Less than 1 month.

Folks, let me rephrase my question:  is it worth spending the time investigating the older DSMC system to get a flavor of how the Red ecosystem and Redcode Raw work or has current technology so surpassed the older offerings that such investigations would be of little practical use?

I'm not asking for a financial cost/benefit analysis. I'm asking for an investment of time and effort benefit analysis.

I realize that many on this board focus, principally, on justifying video technology costs in terms of their current production economics.  That's not what I/we are focusing on. It is more about understanding underlying technologies as a basis for potential future technology choices. Is the time investment relevant or is the last generation so far behind current offerings that it is really irrelevant to learning what Red provides?

IMHO no point buying an older camera to learn if you'll like a future one. The suggestion to rent is a simple one. You'd learn all you need much quicker than a month.

You'd also likely be better off asking in one of the Red forums . There are people who think Red is the evil empire.  Ask about everything you might be buying into. Everything from storage to batteries and anything else they might mention.

jonpais wrote:

ronald weissman wrote:

I have an opportunity to buy a DSMC scarlet W kit w everything except minimag for about $4k. I shoot theatrical productions and events. Is it worth it compared to a $7-8k Komodo or canon c70? Is the last generation Red still worth it?

I purchased a RED Scarlet Dragon for $4 grand but ended up returning it and getting the Komodo for the following reasons. (1) The Dragon isn’t repairable (not easily, in any case), while the Komodo comes with a 1-year warranty (extendable to 3 years for $500). (2) The Komodo is much smaller and lighter (2.1 lbs vs. 5 lbs) and accepts smaller batteries, ideal for balancing on a gimbal like the DJI RS 3. (3) Global shutter. (4) Countless accessories are available from third-party vendors. (5) Readily accessible media (CFast 2.0. cards) and card readers. (6) More versatile lens mount enabling the use of focal reducers and ND filter adapters. (7) Autofocus (though not really reliable, at least not yet). (8) Compatibility with an incredibly well thought-out remote app, the best in the industry. (9) Higher frame rates (6K 40 fps vs. 6K that maxes out at 12 fps burst mode). (10) The camera will continue to be updated in the future, improving functionality. It will receive Gio Scope, ELQ and improved AF this month if all goes according to plan.

RedCode RAW is awesome to work with. If I hadn’t purchased the Komodo, the C70 would have been my next choice for sure.

Jonpais, I did exactly the same thing last week--bought a Komodo--and for exactly the same reasons that you listed.  The only real negatives I've found so far are: 1) no XLR audio; 2) Autofocus is very much "beta" (and they're honest about that), and 3) one really needs an external monitor for accurate manual focus, increasing the footprint of the Komodo substantially.  But I knew all of those issues going in. And you're right about the IoS remote application. It is spectacular with seemingly zero lag.